dhable

My Feedback: (3)

Has anyone built or flown this kit? I've just started it. Odd that it's a "glow-powered-rudder-only" kit in today's world, but I like its size and looks.

spd37

I would love to hear what you think about the old timer when you get it done. Has it been an easy build so far? I would like to hear how it flyes with rudder/elev. only. Thanks for any comments

flyingfever

I like the looks of the Old Timer also.

But I've never found anyone who has built/flown one.

dhable, please let us know your opinion once you get it in the air.


Fever

Roy-RCU

My Feedback: (4)

I an just now finishing mine. The closer to finishing
it the more excited I get. I am a great fan of the
Kadet Senior which is three channel, and I love
the way it flys low and slow. I feel like the
Old Timer will fly a lot like the Kadet.

All I lack on this one is the trim work. I put the
blue transparent on white like on the box picture.
I have yet to put the stripes on the fuse and some
sort of trim on the wing.

I should be able to fly this thing the latter part
of next week. I will let you know how it does.

Roy down in Texas...

dhable

My Feedback: (3)

I'm almost done framing the airplane. I beefed up a few places. The fuse has side and top stringers running from behind the wing's trailing edge to the front of the stab's leading edge. The plans call for the stringers to be glued to the edge of the balsa fuse sides. That's just itching for a finger to poke through, so I added a light balsa "cleat" to the inside of the fuse sides and top to "marry" the stingers to the fuse sides. Forms a lot stronger bond without really adding any weight.

Had some trouble lining up the 3 pieces of the gull-like wing at final assy. That might have been beause I was building the wing away from my bench as a demonstration project. I like to use my own bench and my own tools.)

I will skip the wire landing gear. I have a nice duraluminum gear instead. I will have to create an area on the fuse botom into which to poistion a ply mounting plate for it.

I will use a new Irvine .40 RC Sport 2-stroke to power it. (Picked it up from someone who got into the hobby in the 1980's, bought the engine, then never took it out of the box.)

I'm going to cover with monokote, dark blue and cream. I want to make it look like an old vintage Stinson or something like it. Not sure yet whether to get carried away with the interior. I'll at least have a pilot of some sort.

So far, an easy (typical Great Planes) build. I only get to spend a couple minutes here and there at it, though. Want to have it in the air by August. I'll keep everyone posted.

hag

My Feedback: (2)

I have many flights on an Old Timer. It was built by a fellow club member for another club member, but somehow I ended up with it. Here are my observations:

Really flimsy fin/rudder and stab to fuselage attachment. I beefed up the joints with tri-stock.

Flight performance with a Magnum 52 4 stroke is great. It's very stable and tracks well for a non-aileron plane. It will snap inverted instantly with application of full elevator and either right or left rudder, and you can finish that off as a split S, or hold rudder, apply down and complete the snap roll. It does it so well that more than one onlooker would not believe it was a three channel plane until I landed and showed them.

The ground handling and slow speed performance are very good. A real easy tailwheel plane to fly. I got so comfortable flying it that it was my choice as a demo plane for a preschool that visited the airport I work at. The little kiddies liked all the (fullsize) airplanes, helicopters and stuff, but they LOVED the OldTimer. It's covered in red, yellow and blue and looks like a circus.

A terrific three channel airplane. You'll love it.

Hag

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

Since it does not have ailerons, you may enjoy flying it with the rudder servo plugged into the aileron socket in the receiver. That way the control input will be just as if it had ailerons. Many flyers don't use rudder anyway, and attempting to "learn" the left stick may bother some folks that would otherwise really enjoy this plane.
Have fun.

ZeppelinIII

I got one for my father for christmas and he loves it.

Building:
- He built it almost exactly as per the instructions. Only change that I'm aware of is that he enlarged the whole in the rudder to for the elevator travel.
- It's a decent sized plane so it's easy to get everything together and has plenty of room for anything you'd ever want in it (he's planing on building a cockpit in it this winter)

Flying:
- Depenind on how you like to fly this plane is perfect. He flies at 1/4 - 1/3 throttle and it'll fly all day. It tracks very well in the sky, is very stable and turns very easily with no ailerons. Takeoffs are real short, and landings are very easy, with my only comment there that it will probably land slower than you think...

Equipment:
- His has an O.S. FS52 which is more than enough power, an FS40 would work very well.
- three standard servos are more than enough for this plane

overall definately a very well thought out and designed plane

Slowflight

The Old Timer is a fine model, a pleasure to build and to fly.

The greatest weakness I have discovered after many flights are the landing gear farings. The original lite ply soon broke as the wire gear sprung backwards on hard landings. I replaced them with harder birch ply and these also eventually broke. I have now permanently removed both the gear farings and the wheel pants. They looked nice, but were continuing trouble.

The handling in the air is wonderfully steady. A rank beginner was able to fly it without difficulty once it was at altitude.

hILLVILLE

My Feedback: (64)

I built this a few years ago and I just flew it for the third time last night. I remebered why I have not flown it for a while. Is it me or the plane. I have a decent OS 40 in it and my take off was less than ideal. It waggles all over the place. The plane finally settled down once I stopped trying to steer it. It was dead calm, I was wandering if I should try a little breeze just to help it maintain it's heading down the runway? It landed great and had no tendency to nose over. Is it me or the plane.

sarnart

built this kit 2yrs ago but did not fly it until 6/24/O6 it came out tail heavy added 12oz in nose
have a 46 MAGNUM for power. it flys like a dream
the goose

H5487

The GP Old Timer has been discontinued. Any ideas where one might still find one?

amelia-air

My Feedback: (82)

I have one NIB if your interested--email me